Replacing the Curse with a Blessing Lesson Text ... - Faac1.org

Lessons from Old Testament Prophets Lesson 10 Haggai— Replacing the Curse with a Blessing Lesson Text Haggai 2:11-18, 20-23 11 Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Ask now the priests concerning the law, saying, 12 If one bear holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and with his skirt do touch bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any meat, shall it be holy? And the priests answered and said, No. 13 Then said Haggai, If one that is unclean by a dead body touch any of these, shall it be unclean? And the priests answered and said, It shall be unclean. 14 Then answered Haggai, and said, So is this people, and so is this nation before me, saith the Lord; and so is every work of their hands; and that which they offer there is unclean. 15 And now, I pray you, consider from this day and upward, from before a stone was laid upon a stone in the temple of the Lord: 16 Since those days were, when one came to an heap of twenty measures, there were but ten: when one came to the pressfat for to draw out fifty vessels out of the press, there were but twenty. 17 I smote you with blasting and with mildew and with hail in all the labours of your hands; yet ye turned not to me, saith the Lord. 18 Consider now from this day and upward, from the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, even from the day that the foundation of the Lord's temple was laid, consider it. ..... 20 And again the word of the Lord came unto Haggai in the four and twentieth day of the month, saying, 21 Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, I will shake the heavens and the earth; 22 And I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms, and I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the heathen; and I will overthrow the chariots, and those that ride in them; and the horses and their riders shall come down, every one by the sword of his brother. 23 In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, will I take thee, O Zerubbabel, my servant, the son of Shealtiel, saith the Lord, and will make thee as a signet: for I have chosen thee, saith the Lord of hosts. Focus Verse Haggai 2:19 Is the seed yet in the barn? yea, as yet the vine, and the fig tree, and the pomegranate, and the olive tree, hath not brought forth: from this day will I bless you. Focus Thought Haggai’s message gives hope that God can lift the curse of sin and replace it with the blessing of His Spirit. Culture Connection

Just Do It! by Dorsey Burk I know I can be impatient. I drove through the drive-through this morning to get breakfast. The girl at the window didn’t even look up to acknowledge my presence but continued to read the sheets of paper on her table. She didn’t seem to be concerned that I was in a hurry or that my fingers were tapping on the car door. Finally, she turned and with a big smile handed me my sack. We face it all the time. Store clerks are too busy talking to each other to answer our questions. The bank teller closes her window to go on break when we are next in line. Kids shuffle and poke each other as they cross the street while we are waiting to turn. Don’t you just want to tell them to get busy? I hope the Lord never feels that way about me. I want to be a faithful servant, always eager to do the Master’s will. I don’t want to get sidetracked with the cares of the world and lose sight of the real priorities of life. I want to always put Him first. Ecclesiastes 9:10 states, “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might.” A few years ago, Nike put a modern spin on Solomon’s word. Nike said, “Just do it!” Lesson Outline I. FIRST PROPHECY—FOLLY OF NEGLECT A. Rebuke for Neglect in Rebuilding the Temple B. Results of Misplaced Priorities C. Encouraged by Haggai, the People Resumed Work on the Temple II. SECOND PROPHECY—FUTURE GLORY A. The Prophet’s Assurance of the Lord’s Presence B. The Excelling Glory of the Future Temple III. THIRD PROPHECY—BLESSING OF OBEDIENCE A. Discussion about Holiness and Defilement B. People’s Scarcity before the Foundation of the Temple Was Laid C. Blessing to Accompany the Resumption of Work on the Temple IV. FOURTH PROPHECY—MESSIANIC PROMISE A. The People Encouraged B. Zerubbabel a Type of the Lord Jesus Christ C. Curse Replaced with Blessing Contemplating the Topic Haggai’s preaching augments the story of what happened when Zerubbabel and a remnant of almost fifty thousand Jews returned to Jerusalem after their exile in Babylon. They found broken, crumbling walls and buildings, and throughout the territory a sparse population of Jews, many of whom had not kept records of their tribal lineage, and Samaritans, the mixed race of Jews and other peoples the Assyrians had settled in the land almost two hundred years earlier. The worst shock of all was to see the once majestic Temple lying in ruins. Although those of the remnant born during the Captivity had never seen the Temple, the

elders who remembered its splendor mourned over the desecration. For seventy years they had longed to worship God and sacrifice to Him in the Temple, for this sacred dwelling place of God was an essential component of their covenant relationship with Him. It would have to be rebuilt without delay. The younger ones had only a mental picture of Temple worship, concepts they had been taught by their parents and in the synagogues in Babylon. It was hard for them to imagine the priests performing ritual sacrifices in the Temple when all they saw was a massive pile of charred cedar beams and paneling, toppled pillars, and doors with hack marks where the gold overlay had been removed. Zerubbabel had arrived in Jerusalem laden with the vessels Nebuchadnezzar had confiscated from the Temple, plus silver, gold, other precious things, goods, and animals. The Jews who had remained in Babylon contributed offerings, as well as non-Jews who had been encouraged by King Cyrus to do so. After the remnant arrived in Jerusalem, the elders also contributed lavish freewill offerings to facilitate the rebuilding of the Temple. (See Ezra 1-2.) After the people had settled in Jerusalem and surrounding towns, they reconstructed the altar on its original base and began offering daily burnt offerings according to the Book of Moses. They kept the Feast of Tabernacles. Then they began the monumental task of clearing away the rubble so they could build the foundation of the Temple. They hired masons and carpenters, along with Sidonians and Tyrians to float cedar logs from Lebanon to Joppa to be transported to the Temple site, according to the grant issued by King Cyrus. Levites oversaw the building of the foundation to its completion two years after their arrival in Jerusalem. To celebrate, priests blew trumpets and the Levites played instruments according to the order of David, king of Israel. Choirs sang praises to the Lord, and the people “shouted with a great shout.” Anyone listening to the noise, which could be “heard afar off” would not have been able to distinguish between the wailing of the elders and the rejoicing of the young ones. The elders “who had seen the first house . . . wept with a loud voice” because this second Temple did not have the beauty and luster of Solomon’s Temple, which had been one of the wonders of the ancient world. (See Ezra 3:8-13.) The activity and commotion attracted the attention of the Samaritans, and they came to ask Zerubbabel if they could join in the construction, saying, “We seek your God, as ye do; and we do sacrifice unto him” (Ezra 4:2). According to The Nelson Study Bible, however, the fact the Samaritans did not use the proper name for God—Yahweh— suggested “their understanding of the Lord was still quite poor.” Zerubbabel, Jeshua the priest, and the elders bluntly refused assistance from the Samaritans. “Ye have nothing to do with us to build an house unto our God” (Ezra 4:3). This offense roused the Samaritans’ ire, commencing a spiteful harassment of the Jews that “weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled and terrified them in building, and hired counselors against them, to frustrate their purpose and plans all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius [II] king of Persia” (Ezra 4:45, AMP). They wrote a letter to the Persian king warning him that the Jews, if allowed to rebuild and strengthen Jerusalem, would increase in power and rebel against the king, and he would no longer rule over the territories west of Jordan. They told the king to have the court records searched to prove their accusations. The king had a scribe search the

records and found the history of Jewish insurrection and sedition. He ordered the Jews to give up their plans to rebuild the city walls. Searching the Scriptures The Persian king forced the Jews to abandon their plans to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem—but not to abandon work on the Temple. Still, after the dedication of the Temple foundation, it seemed lethargy enveloped the Jews like a dense fog swallows up a seafarer. Perhaps it was due to the negative reaction of the elder priests as they viewed the foundation of the second Temple. Maybe the young ones, upon whose strength the construction relied, were discouraged by the tears and grimaces and wails of their elders. They may have thought, If that’s the elders’ reaction to our efforts on the foundation, what will they say about the new Temple itself? Why continue to risk any more attacks from the Samaritans? If God wants us to rebuild the Temple, why are we having nothing but trouble? The people turned their attention to personal concerns. The energy that should have gone into beautifying the house of the Lord now went into decorating their homes. The reference to “ceiled houses” in Haggai 1:4 indicates the Jews had gone far beyond seeing to their basic needs by decorating their homes elegantly and living in luxury. They said, “The time is not come, the time that the Lord’s house should be built” (Haggai 1:2). They had lost their vision. I. FIRST PROPHECY—FOLLY OF NEGLECT The prophecies of Haggai are among the most precisely dated prophecies of the Old Testament, spanning a period of only four months in 520 BC. His messages, along with the prophecies of his contemporary, Zechariah, gave the people a powerful motivation to resume work on the Temple, and the work commenced only three weeks after the delivery of Haggai’s first prophecy. A. Rebuke for Neglect in Rebuilding the Temple Regarding this time period in Israel’s history, it is important to realize the continuance of the ancient covenant was, according to Keil and Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament, “bound up with the Temple.” The Temple was a vital component of Israel’s covenant relationship with God. The purpose of the Old Testament Tabernacle or Temple was clearly laid out in Exodus 25:8: “And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.” Transparency 1 Transparency 1 states, “To be indifferent toward the rebuilding of the Temple was to be indifferent about the presence of God dwelling among them.” To be indifferent toward the rebuilding of the Temple was to be indifferent about the presence of God dwelling among them. The Temple was more than a mere physical structure; it represented their relationship with God. Had they cared about their relationship with God, their top priority would have been to rebuild the Temple before anything else. Our priorities reveal the nature of our relationship with God.

Haggai told the people, “Consider your ways” (Haggai 1:5, 7). They needed to realize God had withdrawn His blessings because of their neglect of the Temple. The people had sown an abundance of seed but reaped precious little from their efforts; they ate and drank but never were satisfied; they bundled up but were never warm; they put money in their pockets, but it seemed to disappear. (See Haggai 1:5-7.) Apathy and neglect kept God’s people from prospering. (See Haggai 1:9-11.) B. Results of Misplaced Priorities The people may have forgotten the principle of blessing and cursing found in Deuteronomy 28 where Moses said, “If thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments . . . all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee” (Deuteronomy 28:1-2). The blessings touched every area of their lives: their travels, business matters, harvests, livestock, their enemies, their spirituality, relationships, families, health, and social standing. Then Moses warned of the curses God would send if the people did not observe and obey the commandments, and the list of curses was as comprehensive as the list of blessings. If only the people in Haggai’s day would recognize the “cause-effect relationship between their poverty and their neglect of the Temple” (Evangelical Commentary on the Bible), they could once again enjoy God’s blessings by resuming their work on the Temple. C. Encouraged by Haggai, the People Resumed Work on the Temple God, through Haggai’s anointed prophecy, stirred the spirit of the people to action. As soon as the harvest was completed, they began organizing work teams and assembling tools. As they worked, Haggai delivered the Lord’s message to the people: “I am with you” (Haggai 1:13). Moses received a similar message of comfort and encouragement as he began the task of delivering the Israelites from Egypt. (See Exodus 3:12.) II. SECOND PROPHECY—FUTURE GLORY Reference points in the past often can be used to measure events in both the present and future. This can be good or bad. If a person learns from his past, he can work toward a better present and future. However, if he believes the past was utopia, his present and future are doomed because he believes he never will be able to surpass the achievements of the past. Such an attitude defeats faith and causes one to discount the sovereignty of God, who is in control of the present and the future. When God’s people looked back to compare the past glory of Solomon’s Temple to its present deplorable condition, they became discouraged. Admittedly, Solomon’s Temple was a feat never to be repeated, but God’s plan was to lead His people to something far greater than the first Temple—the new birth! A. The Prophet’s Assurance of the Lord’s Presence The remnant thought their past outshone the present; however, God’s work was not finished. Haggai encouraged the people to focus on the reality of God’s abiding presence and help. Dwelling on past misfortunes would only diminish their faith in God’s

promises or in His ability to perform those promises in the present. God’s ways and timing are not our own. (See Isaiah 55:8.) Haggai delivered his second prophecy on the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles, which according to our calendar was October 17, 520 bc. He admonished Zerubbabel, Joshua the high priest, and all the people to “be strong . . . and work: for I am with you” (Haggai 2:4). B. The Excelling Glory of the Future Temple Haggai realized the people were comparing the present situation to the glorious days of their past, and through the inspiration of God’s Spirit challenged them to look to a future more glorious than they could imagine. Trransparency 2 Transparency 2 quotes Haggai 2:9. “For thus saith the Lord of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land; and I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts. . . . The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the Lord of hosts: and in this place will I give peace” (Haggai 2:6-7, 9). III. THIRD PROPHECY—BLESSING OF OBEDIENCE A. Discussion about Holiness and Defilement Haggai knew that even after the Temple had been completed and dedicated, its physical existence would not guarantee that the people approached God in wholehearted worship. Therefore, Haggai addressed the priests at the beginning of his third prophecy, since they were responsible for interpreting God’s law, teaching it to the people, and leading public worship. Haggai asked the priests, “Can holiness be transmitted by contact?” The priests, knowing full well the guidelines found in Numbers 19:11-13, answered no. Haggai then asked, “Can defilement be transmitted by contact?” The priests answered yes. These questions segued into the real issue: “So is this people, and so is this nation” (Haggai 2:14). By now they should have learned that their neglect of the Lord’s Temple had contaminated every area of their lives. B. People’s Scarcity Before theFoundation of the Temple Was Laid During their three months of working on the Temple, the people probably had seen many indications of God’s presence but had not yet experienced the abundance of God’s blessings. They were between harvests, and their half-empty wine vats and storehouses still suffered from the effects of the past fifteen years. Haggai spoke a message from the Lord: “I smote you with blasting and with mildew and with hail in all the labours of your hands; yet ye turned not to me” (Haggai 2:17). Although they had worked tirelessly on the physical construction of the Temple, they had not yet given much thought to their need for spiritual revival.

C. Blessing to Accompany the Resumption of Work on the Temple God instructed, “Consider now from this day and upward” (Haggai 2:18). God was pleased with their hard work but also wanted them to turn fully to Him and acknowledge Him as the source of all their blessings. From that day forward, their hope for the blessings of God would become a reality. IV. FOURTH PROPHECY—MESSIANIC PROMISE The messianic promise made to David is recognized in Zerubbabel being a descendant of David. However, the promise reached its climax in Jesus Christ, who descended from both David and Zerubbabel (Matthew 1:12; Luke 3:27). A. The People Encouraged Haggai’s fourth prophecy followed on the heels of the third. Perhaps he perceived the people’s speculation about how long the Temple on which they were laboring would remain standing. They had seen the ruins of the first Temple; how long would it be before another heathen conqueror tore down the second Temple? Haggai encouraged the people not only to look at the present, but to gaze forward into the future blessings when God would destroy the Gentile kingdoms of the earth and establish His everlasting kingdom. B. Zerubbabel a Type of the Lord Jesus Christ Haggai used Zerubbabel to represent God’s authority over all the earth in that Zerubbabel would become God’s “signet” (2:23).The signet was an engraved piece of stone, porcelain, or clay attached to a ring or sometimes worn on a string around a person’s neck or arm. The bearer could seal a document, a tomb, or a doorpost. Through Zerubbabel’s authoritative spiritual guidance during these trying times, the people could be cleansed and blessed. C. Curse Replaced with Blessing When Christ rules in His kingdom, the curse of sin will be gone. Sin’s scourge upon the human race will be replaced with the blessing of Christ’s eternal healing. There will be no suffering or sorrow, no more sickness or disease, and no more hospitals or cemeteries. Heaven will be a place of joy and peace. This is the believer’s hope. Today we labor to build up God’s kingdom, but some sweet tomorrow we will enter into the place He has built for us. Internalizing the Message What can New Testament believers learn from Haggai’s message? First, poor behavior or a poor performance will guarantee a poor result. Little or no prayer, minimum Bible reading, inconsistent church attendance, and selfish preoccupation will hinder one’s spiritual life and result in very little satisfaction, joy, or strength. When our lives seem fruitless and empty, we should heed the words of Haggai and reflect upon our manner of living. Realigning our priorities and placing God’s kingdom first will release God’s blessings into our lives. (See Matthew 6:33.) Second, we should realize that church work is not the work of the church. Certainly there is merit in obedience; but when the obedient motions become mechanical,

they become meaningless. God hungers for an intimate relationship with His people. He yearns not only to be with us but in us. (See John 14:17.) It is important to keep the Lord’s commandments, but it is also of vital importance to foster a vibrant relationship with Him. (See John 15:1-12.) He said, “Without me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5). A person who goes through the motions apart from any intimate connection with Him will accomplish nothing. Third, it is a mistake to think that time diminishes the potency of God’s promises or His ability to perform them. “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise” (II Peter 3:9); that is, His promises are well-timed. For instance, God promised Abraham a son by his wife Sarah, but she did not give birth to the child until twenty-five years later. (See Genesis 18:9-11; 21:3.) Through a dream God promised Joseph he would one day rule over his brothers, but it did not come to pass until thirteen years later. (See Genesis 37:211; 41:46; 42:6-9.) God promised the coming of the Messiah, but Jesus was not born until the “fullness of time was come” (Galatians 4:4). Fourth, just as God was with Old Testament Israel in the Tabernacle and Temple, His Spirit now dwells within the New Testament believer. We should celebrate the removal of the curse of sin through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We should celebrate the privilege of experiencing the new birth through repentance, water baptism in Jesus’ name for the remission of sins, and receiving the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in other tongues. God is with us and in us, and He brings abundant blessings to our lives. Fifth, just as God wanted Old Testament believers to be holy even as He is holy, He also wants New Testament believers to walk in His holiness. Living a holy life does not simply mean subscribing to a list of do’s and don’ts. Obedience to biblical standards is important, but it more important that we live in relationship with Jesus Christ. If we are filled with the Spirit, we will reflect His glory to a lost world. Peter said the fulfillment of these “exceeding great and precious promises” was to partake in the divine nature of Christ (II Peter 1:4). When Christ lives within our hearts, we will manifest the fruit of the Spirit. (See Galatians 5:22-25.) Obeying the Lord’s precepts in tandem with His holiness brings blessing and spiritual productivity. (See II Peter 1:5-8.) Sixth, if a person learns from his past, he can work toward a better present and future. However, if he believes the past was utopia, his present and future are doomed because he will be convinced he could never attain to the achievements of the past. Such an attitude defeats faith and causes one to doubt the sovereignty of God. God’s Spirit challenges us to look to a future more glorious than we can imagine. Paul concluded, “For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us” (II Corinthians 1:20). Transparency 3 Transparency 3 says, “For the believer, the glory of the future will be the second coming of Jesus Christ.” For the believer, the glory of the future will be the second coming of Jesus Christ. We can trust in the surety of that promise, “for yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry” (Hebrews 10:37). Believers who grow weary with earthly

struggles can keep their eyes focused heavenward, “looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13). In Revelation 21:9-22:7, John described the New Jerusalem wherein he saw no Temple, “for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it” (Revelation 21:22). He saw no war—only peace. John wrote of good news for mankind: “There shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it” (Revelation 22:3). He saw no more curse—only blessings. Sometimes we think our best days are behind us, but God knows the best is yet to come! Reflections • Discuss the means by which God realigned the Jews’ priorities when they neglected the rebuilding of the Temple. Discuss how this could apply to our Christian life. • The Jews’ indifference toward rebuilding the Temple reflected their indifference about the presence of God dwelling among them. Discuss how indifferent attitudes and focus on temporal things can reflect—and also affect—what is happening in our Christian life. • As Haggai’s message was vital to the Jews, so is the message of an anointed minister of God vital to the spiritual and physical well-being of God’s people today. Discuss. • If a person believes the past was utopia, it will undermine the success of his present and future. Discuss. • To the Jews the Temple symbolized the presence of God in their midst. To Christians, the church is their spiritual hub where corporate worship, instruction, and edification take place. However, John saw no temple in the Holy City. Discuss.